Cutback vs Ember
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Cutback
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Drink less or quit—your goal, your pace. Cutback gives you a calm, practical way to understand your drinking, build a suggested plan, and make progress without shame or all-or-nothing streaks. Choose a daily limit or work toward becoming alcohol-free. Cutback creates a suggested plan around your goal and timeframe, then helps you follow it one day at a time. BUILD A PLAN THAT FITS YOU • Choose whether you want to drink less or quit • Create a suggested plan around your goal and timeframe • Adjust your limit as your needs change • Keep your personal reasons close when motivation gets difficult SEE YOUR PROGRESS • Log drinks quickly and privately • Review weekly, monthly, and yearly patterns • Track alcohol-free days, drinks avoided, and money saved • See consumption represented as US standard drinks • Record feelings and notice connections between mood and drinking • Use optional reminders to stay on track BUILD YOUR ROOM Your progress becomes something you can see. Complete check-ins, earn credits, unlock milestone décor, and build a room that reflects how far you have come. CUTBACK PRO Cutback Pro adds: • Shields that can protect your current run • Premium room décor • Home Screen and Lock Screen widgets • Siri and Shortcuts logging • Optional evening recaps • Additional premium progress features CUTBACK PRO PRICING • Three months: $14.99 • Annual: $39.99 per year, including a 7-day free trial for eligible customers • Lifetime: $59.99 one-time purchase Prices shown are in US dollars. Pricing may vary by country or region, and the App Store will display the final price before purchase. PRIVATE BY DESIGN No Cutback account or sign-in is required. Supported progress can sync between your devices through your private iCloud database. Clearforge cannot read your private drinking history. Anchor photos remain stored locally on your device. Anonymous purchase information is processed to provide and manage Cutback Pro access. Cutback is a wellness and self-tracking tool. It does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, treatment, detoxification, or emergency services. SUBSCRIPTION TERMS A free trial converts to a paid subscription at the price shown unless canceled at least 24 hours before it ends. Payment is charged to your Apple Account when the purchase is confirmed. Three-month and annual subscriptions renew automatically at the price shown unless canceled at least 24 hours before the end of the current subscription period. Your Apple Account will be charged for renewal within 24 hours before the current period ends. Manage or cancel your subscription in your Apple Account settings. Lifetime access is a one-time purchase and never renews. Privacy Policy: https://clearforgesoftware.com/cutback/privacy/ Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Support: support@clearforgesoftware.com
Ember
This app offers a private, compassionate companion to help you stop drinking and stay sober. It provides immediate support during cravings with guided conversations and coping tools, without judgment or shame.
- Private craving support
- Guided coping tools
- Compassionate reset after drinking
- Sober time tracking
- Money and time saved tracker
- Milestone achievements
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Ember helps you stop drinking and stay sober — not with another day-counter, but with a warm companion who sits with you through the hard moments. When a craving hits, Ember is right there: a calm, private coach for the 2am kind of night a streak counter can't reach. KEEP YOUR FLAME LIT Your sober time is a single flame you tend. It breathes while you're lit, dims to a coal when a craving hits, and relights the moment you get through it. Your day count is simply how long it's stayed burning. A COACH FOR THE MOMENT THE URGE HITS Tap "I'm having an urge" any time, day or night. Ember sits with you through it — a short, grounded conversation plus one coping tool that fits the moment: an urge-surf timer, breathing, play-the-tape, or your own reasons for stopping. The urge passes. The flame relights. PRIVATE BY DESIGN — NO FEED, NO ACCOUNT No public community. No feed to doom-scroll. No sign-up. Your recovery is yours: everything stays on your device, and you can start in the first five seconds. Trust is the whole point. A RESET WITHOUT SHAME If you drink, Ember never shames you. The flame gently goes out, and we relight it — that's all this ever is. Your history and journal are always kept. No lost streaks, no punishment. SEE WHAT SOBRIETY GIVES BACK Watch your sober days, the money you've saved, and the time you've reclaimed add up. Reach milestones — 1 day, 1 week, 30, 60, 90 — with a warm flare, and share a flame card if you want to. BUILT FOR ALCOHOL, ON PURPOSE Ember is for stopping drinking and staying sober — not moderation, not "drink less," not a twelve-step program. One focused job, done with care. A GENTLE NOTE ON SAFETY If you drink heavily, please talk to a doctor before stopping — alcohol withdrawal can be serious. Ember is a companion, not medical treatment, and it will always point you toward real help, including 988 and SAMHSA, in a crisis. EMBER PRO Everything you need to get sober is free forever: the flame, your counter, Home Screen and Lock Screen widgets, the craving coach, core coping tools, milestones, and the compassionate reset. Ember Pro unlocks unlimited coaching, personalized daily reflections tuned to your triggers, an Apple Watch flame, Face ID lock, and iCloud backup — $29.99/year with a 7-day free trial, or a one-time $79.99 for lifetime. Monthly is $7.99. Keep your flame lit. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://ember.aiappnation.com/privacy Ember Pro is an auto-renewing subscription. Payment is charged to your Apple ID at confirmation of purchase. Your subscription renews automatically unless canceled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period, and your account is charged for renewal within 24 hours prior to the end of the period. Manage or cancel anytime in your App Store account settings. The lifetime option is a one-time purchase, not a subscription.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is update cadence: Ember at every 9 days against Cutback's every 2 months. On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS
Both are free to download. Cutback sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Ember sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $7.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
Cutback ships an update every 2 months, Ember every 9 days. The most recent releases landed on October 10, 2026 and September 29, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Cutback | Ember |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | — | 5.0 (1 ratings) — better |
| Number of ratings | — | 1 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | Every 9 days — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | — | Freemium |
| Devices | iPhone | iPhone, Apple Watch — better |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | 17.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 24 MB | 8 MB |
| Age rating | 17+ | 12+ |
| Developer | Clearforge Software LLC | PLAYRIOT LLC |
In-app purchases
Cutback
- Cutback Anywhere$19.99
Ember
- Ember Pro — Monthly$7.991 Month
- Ember Pro — Yearly7 Days trial$29.991 Year
- Ember Lifetime$79.99








